European Quarter in Strasbourg: visiting the European Parliament and Council of Europe, with or without a guide
4 min read
The answer first. You can visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg yourself, and it costs nothing. You can walk the European Quarter on your own too, but the buildings explain little from the outside. The guided walk through the European Quarter gives the context, and it only looks at the Parliament from outside. The visit inside the Parliament is a separate one, described below.
Visiting the European Parliament
The European Parliament’s visitor pages set out the rules for the Strasbourg building. Outside plenary weeks the visit is self-guided and free:
- Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00, Saturday 9:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 18:00. Last entrance is at 17:00, and it is closed on Sundays.
- Closures in 2026: including 24 December to 3 January 2027. The page lists the full set of dates.
- Booking: not compulsory for individuals outside plenary weeks.
- ID: a national ID card or passport. Photocopies, ID cards on a phone and driving licences are not accepted. Children under 14 must be with an adult.
In plenary weeks the rule changes. The page for plenary sessions says individuals must register first, that visits go in small groups of up to 9 people, and that the hemicycle visit lasts about 30 minutes. On Monday mornings, Fridays and Saturdays of a plenary week you can still visit without booking, with a multimedia guide, but no debates take place then. Plenary sessions run from Monday afternoon to Thursday noon, twelve times a year. Check the Parliament’s calendar for your dates before you plan the day around it.
The Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is a different institution, in a different building. According to its visitor page, visits are free and organised for groups of at least 15 people, Monday to Friday except French public holidays. An older brochure from the Council adds that individuals may join a group that has already registered, depending on availability, by telephone. The current visitor page mentions groups only, so call the visitors’ service before you count on that. Plan for this one in advance.
What the guided walk covers
The 100-minute walk starts near the Parc de l’Orangerie and runs through the Wacken district, with the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe on the way, the Art Nouveau houses of the Orangerie district, and the Parliament from outside. The description says a visit inside “could be arranged”, so ask the guide rather than count on it. It costs €40 per person, is rated 4.7/5 from 82 reviews, runs in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish, and takes up to 10 people. The page asks for good walking shoes. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.
Who should do what
- Short on time: go to the Parliament on a weekday outside plenary week, take your passport, and allow about an hour.
- Curious about how the institutions fit together: the walk, then the Parliament on your own afterwards.
- Only want the old town: skip this quarter. Our Petite France and old town guide compares those walks.
Our recommendation
For most visitors the free Parliament visit is the better use of an hour, and the walk is worth adding if you want the history of the institutions explained. Compare other city walks under Strasbourg walking tours.
